Page 31 of Enchanted
“I’m about to give you a suggestion on what you’d call a big thing. I expect you to do as you like about it.”
“What is it?”
“In a bit,” he said with a vague wave of his hand. “Come in here and have a look at what I’m doing.”
Baffled, she walked into the adjoining office with him. His computer was up and running, the screen saver swimming with moons and stars and symbols she didn’t recognize. He tapped a key and had text popping up.
“What do you think?” he asked her, and she bent forward to read. A moment later she was laughing. “I think I can’t read what appears to be computer signals and some foreign language.”
He glanced down, let out an impatient huff of breath. He’d gotten so involved in the story line, he hadn’t considered. Well, that could be fixed. He nearly flicked his wrist to have the straight story line brought up, caught himself not a moment too soon, then made a show of tapping keys while the basic spell ran through his mind.
“There.” The screen jiggled, then blipped and brought up new text. “Sit down and read it.”
Since nothing would have delighted her more, she did as he asked. It took only a few lines for her to understand. “It’s a sequel to Myor.” Thrilled, she turned her face up to his. “That’s wonderful. You’ve written another. Have you finished it?”
“If you’d read it, you’d see for yourself.”
“Yes, yes.” This time it was she who waved him away as she settled down to be entertained. “Oh! Kidnapped. She’s been kidnapped and the evil warlock’s put a spell on her to strip her of her powers.”
“Witch,” he muttered, wincing a little. “A male witch is still a witch.”
“Really? Well … He’s locked all her gifts up in a magic box. It’s because he’s in love with her, isn’t it?”
“What?”
“It has to be,” Rowan insisted. “Brinda’s so beautiful and strong and full of light. He’d want her, and this is his way of forcing her to belong to him.”
Considering, Liam slipped his hands into his pockets. “Is it, now?”
“It must be. Yes, here’s the handsome warlock—I mean witch—who’ll do battle with the evil one to get the box of power. It’s wonderful.”
She all but put her nose to the screen, annoyed she hadn’t thought to put on her reading glasses. “Just look at all the traps and spells he’ll have to fight just to get to her. Then when he frees her, she won’t have any magic to help. Just her wits,” Rowan murmured, delighted with the story. “They’ll face all this together, risk destruction. Wow, the Valley of Storms. Sounds ominous, passionate. This is what was missing from the firstone.”
More stunned than insulted, he gaped at her. “Excuse me?”
“It had such wonderful magic and adventure, but no romance. I’m so glad you’ve added it this time. Rilan will fall madly in love with Brinda, and she with him as they work together, face all these dangers.”
Her eyes gleamed as she leaned back and refocused them on Liam. “Then when they defeat the evil witch, find the box, it should be their love that breaks the spell, opens it and gives Brinda back her powers. So they’ll live happily ever after.” She smiled a bit hesitantly at the shuttered look in his eyes. “Won’t they?”
“Aye, they will.” With a few adjustments to the story line, he decided. But that was his task, and for later. By Finn, the woman had it right. “What do you think of the magic dragons in the Land of Mirrors?”
“Magic dragons?”
“Here.” He bent down, leaning close and manually scrolling to the segment. “Read this,” he said, and his breath feathered warm across her cheek. “And tell me your thoughts.”
She had to adjust her thoughts to block out the quick jump of her pulse, but dutifully focused on the words and read. “Fabulous. Just fabulous. I can just see them flying away on the back of a dragon, over the red waters of the sea, and the mist-covered hills.”
“Can you? Show me how you see it—just that. Draw it for me.” He pulled her sketchbook out of her bag. “I haven’t got a clear image of it.”
“No? I don’t know how you could write this without it.” She picked up a pencil and began to draw. “The dragon should be magnificent. Fierce and beautiful, with wonderful gold wings and eyes like rubies. Long and sleek and powerful,” she murmured as she sketched. “Wild and dangerous.”
It was precisely what he’d wanted, Liam noted as the drawing came to life under her hand. No tame pet, no captured oddity. She had it exactly: the proud, fierce head, the long powerful body with its wide sweep of wings, the slashing tail, the feel of great movement.
“Do another now.” Impatient, he tore off the first sketch, set it aside. “Of the sea and hills.”
“All right.” She supposed a rough drawing might help him get a more solid visual for his story. Closing hereyes a moment, she brought the image into her mind, that wide, shimmering sea with cresting waves, the jagged rocks that speared silver out of thick, swirling mists, the glint of sunlight gilding the edges, and the dark shadow of mountains beyond.
When she was done with it, he ripped that page away as well, demanded she do another. This time of Yilard, the evil witch.
